When I was a child, there was nothing better than getting a whole new stack of books to page through during the weeks of holiday break. I’d read from them to my younger brother and reread them to myself, and then I’d bring them to school our first week back and trade them with my classmates in exchange for some of the books they had received as gifts and voraciously read through.

If I’m truly honest, it was those book gifts that probably helped me to develop a life-long love of reading, and ultimately sealed my fate as an author of children’s literature. I wouldn’t go back and trade those gifts for a new puppy, a new bike, or even the world because I now know in retrospect that they literally shaped my for the future…and for the better.

If you’re struggling to come up with gift ideas for the middle grade readers in your life and you want to help them both enjoy a fun mystery novel while also developing critical thinking skills, I encourage you to check out my latest middle grade novel, BREAKING NEWS, which released from Fitzroy Books just a few months ago. If you want to get a feel for the novel before purchasing, check out the book trailer video I posted below. Happy Reading and Happy Holidays, y’all!